Let there be no doubt: U.S. Sen. Cory Booker can run for president and Senate at the same time.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed a bill — unofficially dubbed “Cory’s Law” — that would clarify that a U.S. senator or member of the U.S. House from New Jersey can appear on the primary and general election ballots for those offices as well as for the presidency.
Booker, a Democrat and New Jersey’s junior senator, is widely expected to run for president in 2020, the same year he’s up for reelection for a second full six-year term in the Senate. In recent weeks, he’s visited Iowa and New Hampshire — which have the first presidential nominating contests in the nation — ostensibly to help out other candidates.
Booker, however, has acknowledged that he’s considering running for president.
Even if Booker doesn’t get his party’s party nomination, the bill would still allow him to run for vice president and Senate at the same time should the Democratic nominee choose Booker as a running mate.
Although the bill does not mention Booker by name, it’s clearly geared toward him. Its sponsors said state law probably permits Booker to run for both offices, anyway, but the new law is meant to ensure that nobody can successfully challenge a dual candidacy in court.
